Jason

Maybe important isn't the right word I'm looking for. Legitimate, maybe?

I remember when these guys came out. I always equated them with other pop metal acts like Ratt, Poison, Winger, etc. For me, seeing Bon Jovi at the closing ceremonies of the Olympics was like seeing Cinderella up there.

And VH1 positively fawned over them in their Behind the Music episode. Made them sound like the American version of the Beatles or something.

So why are Bon Jovi accepted today as 'artists' when the rest of these bands have been tossed on the trash heap of playing nightclubs and summer-shed nostalga tours? Is it because of they're from Jersey, and they're supposed to be Springsteen: The Next Generation or something? They've done very little since the 80's (only 3 albums since 1988's New Jersey). Is it because Jon is a second rate movie star? I don't get it.

lostatmidnight

Wow, I must be out of it, Bon Jovi considered a serious musical artist(s)? That's scary....I don't equate them with any sort of artistic posterity....They cut their hair, maybe that's it?

edclem

however cheesy their music was, they had quite a bit more talent across the board than most of their mid 80's glam counterparts (as opposed to a fantastic guitarist backed by 3 or 4 ok performers)

mdc3000

i think it has something to do with lasting appeal... their tracks had a chesse quality to them, but they are very fun, rocking songs... i know here at my university, Bon is a very popular musical selection... i think with time, the songs have aged well, which very few from that time do....

MATT

tboogie

I think it's because Jon is good looking. I mean, look at all the untalented female artists that have made it just based on looks. Why can't a man do it?

KevinSmithIsGod

They are one of the top selling artists on the 80's. They put on a great show and Jon writes good songs.
I dont think their music is nearly as cheesey as alot of the other 80's bands. "Livin on a prayer" is a song of hope and was very identifiable with 9/11..which is why they were asked to perform it for the 9/11 tribute show.
I love Bon Jovi...always have.
I think its also good management and Jon is an amazing business man.

He more or less owns Cinderella, Skid Row and other bands that he got signed during the 80's...

slop101

'Cause he's a cowboy...

An' his guitar is his gun.

or something...

Toad

I didn't know they were so "important", but they're a pretty good band who've showed some longevity. I can't recall another 80's "hair/rock" band that has stuck around and had as many hits as they have.

Plus "Slippery When Wet" is one of the Top 25 highest selling albums of all time, putting them with the likes of The Eagles, Michael Jackson, and Led Zeppelin.

GuessWho

Because they've stood the test of time. They release a CD about every 2 years and they all go platinum. Every tour still sells out 18000 person arenas every single night. they can bring out the classics, but even the new stuff, like 2000's "it's my life" gets the crowd going (did you see the us olympian singing along to that? very cool!)

GuessWho

Add in Jon's 2 solo albums, Young Guns 2 & Destination Anywhere to that list.

Blaze of Glory was a solo song, but they include it in group concerts so it's all together.

atlantamoi

Man, I don't get it. My wife and I were watching last night and I couldn't grab the remote control fast enough to get that wretched stuff of my television. I have never, not for one second, understood the appeal of this guy. That late 80's stuff did not sound good back then and it certainly doesn't sound good today. I'm talking about hair bands, including Bon Jovi. I'm getting a headache thinking about it.

KevinSmithIsGod

Sorry you feel that way...it could have been worse.
It could have been the crap kids listen today or the gloom of bands like Pearl Jam and other bands of the early 90's...

slop101

You mean bands that actually wrote something interesting?

Yeah, that would've sucked.

KevinSmithIsGod

Yeah..its real interesting how depressed these guys are and how they feel the need to whine about their child hood.
The music was simple and boring

boo hoo! Daddy molested me! boohoo! I made 10 million last year! boo hoo! Im dressed like a lumberjack! boohoo! I cant believe Ive been forced into this profession!boohoo!!

dork

Guys, guys! Don't fight. Both bands are awful, okay? See, isn't that better? Friends again?

slop101

All I'm saying is that at least their music (Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Radiohead, etc.) is REAL and not some contrived attempt at calculating what the (m)asses are going to like. And for every whiny song about childhood, they have about 10 that speak to the human condition more truthfully than anything Bon Jovi could even understand, much less write.

I went to a Bon Jovi show back in '89 - or sometime (New Jersey tour I believe). My girlfriend at the time draged me to it and it was just not my scene, I was more into straight ahead rock like the Replacements and other "depressing" bands. And right away I knew I was knee-deep in it when Jon Bon said: "Take my hand, I'm going to take you on a journey".
I couldn't believe how thick this guy spred his schmaltz. He may as well had been Neil Diamond. At one point - in the middle of some ballad he was hammering out on the piano by himself, he was overtaked by the raw emotion of the moment and put his head down into his arms to regain composure, only to re-emerge, triumphant to belt out the final chorus. Don't get me wrong, he was a total showman and the crowd was eating it up, but there is more realism in an N'sync show than there was here. (I'm exaggerting, of course)

Bon Jovi's music isn't bad, per se, I just find it to be dull and boring because he throws in every musical and lyrical cliche into his act. So in the end it comes off like a homogenized and castrated blend of corporate rock styles with absolutely zero substance.

demonio

as bad as some of you don't want to admit it, Bon Jovi has talent, all of the groups that have last this long have to. Jon is a great song writer and singer, they have an excellent guitarist in Sambora, and Tico Torres is one of the best rock drummers ever.

You put all that together and you have Bon Jovi, I mean they're not close to being my favorite, but I have to give them credit, they're still putting out hit records, and really haven't changed their style that much since we first heard them.......unlike other bands (Aerosmith).

Toad

I agree with you regarding Pearl Jam and Radiohead, but today's music flat out sucks and is certainly catered to the masses. Everything from Stinkin Park to Limp Bisquick are horrible (in my opinion, of course, b/c skaters like 'em )

slop101

I was actually talking about music from the early 90's and not from today, which I agree with you, is horrible. I even prefer 80's hair bands to this nu-rap-metal-punk crap that seems to be popular.

Oh, and the only people that like this crap, really, are junior high schoolers, who eat up anything that radio and MTV shoves down their throats.

atlantamoi

Okay, maybe there IS worse out there than Bon Jovi. But bringing up the Replacements is a perfect example of what was wrong and what is wrong with the scene. Back in the day when Bon Jovi was at their peak the Replacements were belting out some of the most incredible rock music ever recorded. That's not a stretch. They were simply one of the most amazing bands of the 80's. It just made me sad hearing Bon Jovi on the radio when a band like this was being ignored.

As for depressing music. The lyrics to Bon Jovi songs might be uplifting at times, but I get depressed hearing music like that. I'm not a fan of grunge either... especially today. I actually listen to a lot of Christian music (again, stuff not even close to being on the radio) that can be uplifting. But Bon Jovi's style ain't my cup of tea.

Ergyu

I don't know, I personally can't stand the poor bastard. Especially his new material, now THAT is pop.

[Bongiovi]

Flashback

Okay, first of all you don't have to like Bon Jovi. I was never really
a big fan either. but to dislike hair bands because of their
music is not a measure of talent in any way. Sure there are some
wretched "musicians" in the scene but there are many in all types
of music, popular or unpopular. Bon Jovi has some talented
people in that band that can, 15 years later still put out music
that sells. The 'thing' about that late '80s, early '90s, hard rock
scene was about having a good time with the music being the
background. Believe me it was a lot of fun going to these type
of bars/clubs because everyone was there to have hedonistic
fun.
This is not unlike the disco scene. Lots of fun but the music was eh.
Then came grunge and ****ed it all up with its whiney
attitude. POOF the fun went away. And Soundgarden was not
one of those bands that was serious as stated above. In fact
Soundgarden is a heavy/hard rock band that was having fun
as well before they were lopped into the 'grunge' scene. Same goes for
Alice In Chains, they are put into the 'grunge' picture but
were really shouldn't be. See below
(Jerry is far left and Layne is next to him).

?



Also - to a post above ...
Now the Replacements I loved and was fortunate to see them
a few times. But does it now change your opinion that Tommy
Stinson went to a hair band in Guns and Roses or did work
with Puffy.

Ah - it's all in fun. Now Bono is the person to ask the question,
'Who made you so important?'

atlantamoi

Well, I hated hair bands AND grunge bands. I will agree with you about one aspect. I started listening to punk or alternative rock or whatever you wanna call it because it was FUN. Maybe people had fun with hair bands, but the music was still horrible... therefore, not fun for this person.

I did find it very interesting that Stinson was gigging with Guns and Roses. Rolling Stone mag gave a brief review of a Vegas show and said the music was harder. We'll see... that's another band I never got into.

KevinSmithIsGod

. I started listening to punk or alternative rock or whatever you wanna call it because it was FUN>>

I must have missed the "FUN" "alternative rock" bands...

Nothing was fun about it..
They stood there staring at their shoes being all serious and singing about the shitty parts of life....

Toad

Come on man! Staind does NOT do that at all! And maybe Eddie Vedder has a shoelace phobia!!